a
sore-hearted woman, suffering herself at the coming parting, to turn and
say: "Well, Mrs. Garrison, I suppose that after your husband sails you'll
have to follow the rest of us into grass-widowhood."

One thing that made women hate Margaret Garrison was that she "could
never be taken down," and the answer came cuttingly, as it was meant to
go, even though a merry laugh went with it.

"Not I! When the ship I want is ready, I go with it!"

But as she turned triumphantly away, the color suddenly left her cheek
and there was an instant's falter. As though he had heard her words,
Stanley Armstrong too had suddenly turned and stood looking sternly into
her eyes.

CHAPTER XIII.

Still another expedition was destined to start for Manila, and keen was
the rivalry among the regiments held to daily drill at San Francisco. The
rumor was current in the camps that the next review was to decide the
matter, and that the commands pronounced to be foremost in discipline and
efficiency would be designated to embark. The transports that had
conveyed the earlier expeditions to the Philippines began to reappear in
the bay, and coaling and refitting were hurried to the utmost. The man
most eager to get away was Stanley Armstrong; and if merit were to decide
the matter it was conceded among the volunteers that in point of style
and equipment the "Primeval Dudes" "held over" all competitors, even
though every competitor believed itself more than a match for the Dudes
if actual campaigning and fighting were in contemplation. Senators and
members from the States represented by the volunteers at San Francisco
led burdensome lives, for officers and men were pulling every wire to
secure the longed-for orders for an immediate voyage to Manila, when, all
on a sudden, the hopes of all were crushed. Spain had begged for peace.
"No more men can be sent to Manila," said the officials consulted, and
Camp Merritt put on mourning forthwith.

But Armstrong had been studying the situation and was not easily daunted.
He was a man whose opinion carried weight, and from the very first he had
maintained that while fifteen or twenty thousand might be men enough to
hold Manila, fifty thousand might not be enough to subdue at once the
forces of Aguinaldo in case they should turn upon the Americans, which
said he, placidly, they will most certainly do before we are a year
older.

The Dudes, therefore, much to their disgust, were kept steadily at wor